My favorite bike. Don't know anything about it except the photo (which I re-touched) was taken in Japan. I like this bike even better than Decker's Crocker (my all-time favorite sled). This thing has perfect proportions - the narrowed tanks make the motor appear just a wee bit bigger adding more dominance to it visually. The off-white paint and colored keyed rims are very smart and the forks and bars are so restrained they just glide by your eyes. VERY well done. A work of art.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Best of Knuck to you!
My favorite bike. Don't know anything about it except the photo (which I re-touched) was taken in Japan. I like this bike even better than Decker's Crocker (my all-time favorite sled). This thing has perfect proportions - the narrowed tanks make the motor appear just a wee bit bigger adding more dominance to it visually. The off-white paint and colored keyed rims are very smart and the forks and bars are so restrained they just glide by your eyes. VERY well done. A work of art.
P A R T Y Duck
What do you do if you live close enough to downtown Chicago's waterways to utilize floating transport yet far enough away to have a decent size backyard? Buy a WWII surplus duck and turn it into the most baddass party ship/pontoon eater around. Look for the "Nev Nett" next time you visit the windy city - and be sure to pack your top siders.Coupe'D Railjob
Sometimes a little more imagination and a little less common sense makes the world a much more interesting place.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Diesel's Softtail
I while back I got the chance to design a bike based on HD's modern softail frame - one that I would like to have in my quiver. I had always wanted to take a stab at a softtail chassis with a lowered springer front end, 21" wheel up front, 16" out back, sans fender (a production bike no no) and a restyled headlamp nacelle that took the best elements of the traditional Hydra Glide and matched it up with springer guts. Here's what it came out like. By the way this is what I do for living - only for Ford motor company. Yes as far as I can tell drawing cars/bikes for a living is the best job in the world.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
BonniePan Build Part 4 "Rust Buckets"
Got into the tanks finally today and found mucho rust. So it's off to the dippers for a little rust away - then shiny new paint. I know perfect new tanks would cost me about 120 beans but I'm trying to use as many of the original parts as possible - don't want this thing to lose it's soul.Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Sicko
Hey folks, so memorial day weekend rolls around with a complimentary day off and the first real beautiful warm weather this season - of course I have plenty to do on the BonniePan so it's shaping up to be a very productive holiday weekend - NOPE! I got sick. I got REALLY sick.I ended up in the emergency room with a most painful (as in so painful I could no longer see) ear infection brought on by "A level 4 severe upper respiratory infection" - the flu from hell as I like to refer to it. Chills, sweats, aches, sore throat, headache, running nose - my friggin teeth actually ached! I have never experienced anything like it before. Well it's been 4 days now and I'm still sick as a dog. The only good news is the hospital gave me morphine and vicadin for the pressure the infection is putting on my eardrum, inner ear canal and brain. Oh did I mention I'm also deaf in one ear now. Something else fun I discovered - if you put too many medicine laced ear drops in your ear canal and attempt to sleep only on one side of your head (to keep the medicine from draining out) it will leak out of your eyes and temporally blind you!
I'd like to finish this rant off by personally thanking the evil mutherfucker who had this thing and didn't think it was necessary to wash his hands and passed it on to me. I hope you enjoy the karma that is heading back your way sometime in the near future - you dipshit.
Oh did I mention the medicines I'm taking may cause irritability and keep you up all night...
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Hero's Honored
Have a peaceful Memorial Day everyone. Thanks to all who have served and to those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
The Willis Garage
Jeff pointing out a detail in one of his wax masters. His wax work and final welding/brazing skills are flawless. I'm stoked to have him making the BonniePan's frame salt worthy.
One of the many projects underway at The Willis Garage. This is a competition Sprint getting close to the finish line.
I've always wanted one of these super cool Sprint Magneto covers to hang on the wall. Jeff makes these cool little guys, maybe my wait is over?
BEAUTIFUL J.A.P powered speedway bike. The details on this bike were so nice.
Notice the dual float bowls...alcohol baby!
The subtle details on this bike were so well done. Check out the pinstripe on the down tube. Stuff like that makes or brakes a bike for me.
More details.
How about a totally original Sprint road racer that sat under Cal Rayburn's leathers? This was my favorite bike of his stash with the '14 twin boardtracker a very close second. OK I guess it was a tie.
The mint '14 board tracker. Oh man was she sweet.
750 Duck is Jeff's everyday rider. The roads in his neck of the woods (South Eastern Ohio) were like smooth black spaghetti perfect for the '70's Italian twin.
Jeff poses with his crown jewel. I asked him what it was like to light the wick on the '14, remember - no brakes, no clutch and full throttle at all times. He said his Ducati 998 feels mellow and reserved compared to the ancient racer.
Just returned from Jeff Willis's place down in VERY south Ohio. Jeff will be repairing the BonniPan's frame. After we discussed the project and what needed to be done, I got a chance to peek at Jeff's HUGE collection of vintage stuff. Jeff's stash is unusual for it's wide variety of makes and styles. His collection is not just wide ranging but also very precise in it's choice of models - most are rare or limited edition competition models. Here's a peek at just a few of his babies. Thursday, May 21, 2009
Our Daily Sled #71
Ohio Gary's killer sporty...love this thing and if I wasn't 6'1 I'd build one of my own...
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
BonniePan Build Part 3 "The Egg Head"
Here's a shot of my egg shaped steering head. Anyone have any of those egg shaped Timken cups and bearings? After stripping the frame down the other night I noticed that the steering head had some issues. After a closer inspection the next day I found that the frame had been raked and de-raked at least once in it's life. They must have heated it up (a lot) and bent it back into what was perceived to be the stock angle. Unfortunately they did it in the most imprecise way, and did not bother noticing the "egg headness" of the new cup seats. Now I will have to remove the original botched up head casting and weld in a new one. Hey SHOE does your frame table set-up work with a Big Twin?
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